Payloads:
Combustion Integrated Rack/Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction/Growth and Extinction Limit (CIR/SoFIE/GEL): The crew gained access to the CIR rack and exchanged a used manifold gas bottle with a new one of the same composition (85% O2, 15% N2). SoFIE is a hardware insert for the CIR that enables a wide range of solid-material combustion and fire suppression studies, providing common infrastructure including sample holders, flow control, test sections, external radiant heaters, igniters, and diagnostics for multiple investigations. The GEL experiment studies burning in microgravity, measuring the amount of heating in a fuel sample to determine how fuel temperature affects material flammability. Results could improve understanding of early fire growth behavior and help determine optimal fire suppression techniques, improving crew safety in future space facilities.
Dose Distribution Inside the ISS – 3D (DOSIS-3D): The currently deployed set of 11 Passive Detector Packages (PDPs) were removed from their locations throughout the Columbus module and packed for return. Following this, the new set of PDPs was deployed. ISS crewmembers are continually exposed to varying levels of radiation which can be harmful to their health. DOSIS-3D uses several active and passive detectors to determine the radiation doses inside the ISS. The goal is a three-dimensional radiation map covering all sections of the ISS.
Food Physiology: Samples were collected in support of the Food Physiology experiment. The Integrated Impact of Diet on Human Immune Response, the Gut Microbiota, and Nutritional Status during Adaptation to Spaceflight (Food Physiology) experiment is designed to characterize the key effects of an enhanced spaceflight diet on immune function, the gut microbiome, and nutritional status indicators. These factors are interlinked, but diet is the only one that can be easily and meaningfully altered on Earth or during flight. This investigation aims to document the effect of dietary improvements on human physiology and the ability of those improvements to enhance adaptation to spaceflight.
Host Pathogen: Samples were collected in support of the Host Pathogen experiment. Spaceflight-Induced Changes in Microbial Virulence and the Impact to the Host Immune Response (Host Pathogen) analyzes the relationship between the increased microbial virulence and reduced human immune function commonly observed during orbital spaceflight. Researchers assess spaceflight-induced changes in immune status by collecting blood and saliva samples from crew members before, during, and after spaceflight and culturing the immune cells with both “normal” bacteria and bacteria grown under spaceflight analogue conditions. Results are intended to support the assessment of clinical risk to astronauts from infectious microbes as well as the development of countermeasures to restore immune function in astronauts.
Investigating Structure and Function of the Eye (ISAFE): Measurements including electroretinography were planned for today, but could not be performed due to suspected software issues. Electroretinography is a test to measure the electrical response of the eye’s light-sensitive cells, called rods and cones. Microgravity causes blood and cerebrospinal fluid to shift toward the head, which is believed to be an underlying cause of structural changes to the eyes, known as “Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome” or SANS. ISAFE measures eye, brain, and blood vessel changes during missions of several lengths to determine whether SANS varies with mission length, whether these changes recover when crew members return to Earth, and how long any potential recovery takes. Results could help predict eye changes on future long-duration spaceflights, such as trips to Mars, and support development of methods to protect astronauts’ eyes.
Systems:
Crew Dragon Departure Preparations: The departure conference gave Crew-5 an overview departure timeline tomorrow to avoid potential delays that could jeopardize departing within the undock window. Additionally, the crew discussed tomorrow’s departure activities: the crew will teardown sleep stations, pack final cargo, set-up ISS monitoring, configure dragon cabin, donn suits, close hatches, and preform dragon and suit leak checks. The crew and team also discussed the weather briefing that could cause an updated undock time.
Toilet Dose Pump Dormancy: Today, the crew completed the dormancy portion of the procedure dose pump troubleshooting that was deferred yesterday due to time constraints. The dose pump ensures that the correct amount of pre-treat chemicals are added to urine to help process it. Anomalous performance data from testing suggests that the dose pump is failed.
ISS Crew Orientation and Departure Preparation: The new Endeavour Crew is allotted one hour a day to adjust to living in space for their first two week on Orbit. Also, the Endurance Crew has prepared for their return to earth by cleaning, completing stowage and inventory tasks, and preparing personal items for return.
Completed Task List Activities:
- None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
- Crew Dragon Awake Mode Checkout
- Crew Dragon C2V2 Checkout for Departure
- Crew Dragon Departure Conference
Look Ahead Plan
Thursday, March 9 (GMT 068)
Payloads:
- Food Physiology
- HRP Sample Collections
- Immunity Assay Hardware Gather, KUBIK setup, and BPW Review
- POLAR Deactivate
- Veg-05 Check
Systems:
- Dragon Departure
- ISS Emergency Hardware Familiarization
- ISS Crew Orientation
Friday, March 10 (GMT 069)
Payloads:
- Astrobee Crew Minimal Science Session
- AWP Setup/Stow
- Bio-Monitor Config File Upload
- DCB Ice Brick Stow
- Food Physiology
- HRF Veg questionnaire
Systems:
- ARED CAR R&R
- Crew-6 Undock
Saturday, March 11 (GMT 070)
Payloads:
- Astrobee Off
- Veg-05 Check
Systems:
- Off Duty
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
- Campout Sleeping Bag Deploy and Stow
- CASA Keep-Out Zone (KOZ) & Door Stop Check
- CEVIS Crew Handover
- CIR High Oxygen Bottle Replacement
- CIR Rack Doors Open and Closure
- ARED Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation
- Crew Departure Preparations
- Installation of the DOSIS 3D Passive Detector Packs
- Crew Dragon Departure Conference
- Dragon Initial Configuration for Undock
- Unseal MegaHEPA Filter in Crew Dragon
- Crew Dragon Seat Actuator Checkout
- Cargo Dragon Station Support Computer Relocate
- Crew Dragon Tablet Sync
- Dragon Locker Install
- Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit (FMK) Hardware Audit
- FMK Deployment Operations
- Grab Sample Container (GSC) Sampling Operations
- Emergency Equipment Removal
- Food Physiology Sample Collection and Processing
- Food Physiology MELFI Sample Insertion 1
- Glacier Desiccant Swap
- HRF Generic MELFI Sample Collection and Insertion Operations
- [Deferred] ISAFE Electroretinograph Measures Activities
- ISAFE Historical Documentation Photography
- ISAFE MELFI Item Insertion and Retrieval
- [Deferred] ISAFE Optical Coherence Tomography 2 Activities
- Crew departure prep
- Crew-6 Self Study
- ISS Crew Orientation
- Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event Node2 and JEM
- Polar Express Rack Uninstall, Transfer, And Dragon Install
- Space Automated Bioproduct Lab, CO2 Meter Setup
- Standard Measures Post-Sleep Questionnaire
- Exercise T2 Handover
- Toilet Dose Pump Troubleshooting
- Toilet EDV Removal
- Toilet Urine Hose Remove & Replacement
- Cargo Transfer to Dragon